If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Steam Dreams 2013 & 2014 Archive

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by free2grice, Aug 10, 2013.

  1. Matt35027

    Matt35027 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2009
    Messages:
    1,122
    Likes Received:
    143
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Builder
    Location:
    Near 74D
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    WCRC can and have operated 35028. Only once that I know of, December 2010 when she stood in for a number of unavailable locos and double headed with 44932.
     
  2. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    Just hope that can happen again on the occasions SD would want her. Like next years ACE: it would be inconceivable to me for such a trip to be planned without having a MN on the front leaving Waterloo. It was very rarely a Light Pacific in steam days. A little less rare on the up, but still very unusual.
     
    steamvideosnet likes this.
  3. AMP

    AMP Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2007
    Messages:
    391
    Likes Received:
    269
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Beaten to it!
     
  4. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2008
    Messages:
    2,575
    Likes Received:
    545
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Brick Machine Operator
    Location:
    Haywards Heath
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Beaten to it.
     
  5. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2008
    Messages:
    2,575
    Likes Received:
    545
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Brick Machine Operator
    Location:
    Haywards Heath
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Maybe 35027? Would love to see some Merchant double headers gioven we should have in a few years time 35018, 35027 and 35028.
     
  6. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2007
    Messages:
    35,121
    Likes Received:
    20,772
    Occupation:
    Training moles
    Location:
    The back of beyond
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    That would be pure overkill. A Merchant is more than capable of handling anything today's rail tour scene could throw at it so why waste money on paying for two?
     
  7. spicer21

    spicer21 Guest

    Exactly, and scarcely authentic ?
     
  8. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2007
    Messages:
    35,121
    Likes Received:
    20,772
    Occupation:
    Training moles
    Location:
    The back of beyond
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Herr Yeti would be the one to ask but I can't recall ever seeing a mention of d/h Merchants. Whilst it would possibly be a spectacle for the linesider, I fail to see the attraction to the passenger. Two small locos going hard with a heavy load is one thing, but two Merchants barely breaking in to a sweat would leave me cold.
     
  9. spicer21

    spicer21 Guest

    Me too, bit like when they paired up Tornado and the Duke last year. Probably only novelty value, even for many linesiders.
     
  10. Dustbin

    Dustbin New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2009
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    It is reported to have happened on 2nd July 1967. 35007 double headed 35007 from Weymouth to Bournemouth. 35007 then continued to Waterloo unassisted achieving 90mph on the way. Information from John H Bird Southern Steam Sunset

    Dustbin
     
  11. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2005
    Messages:
    9,635
    Likes Received:
    8,303
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Alderan !
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Tornado has no more booked work (according to the A1 website) after the end of September . With an intermediate overhaul planned The timing of the change works for all parties . Is one of the SD Directors/managers still heavily involved with the A1 ?
     
  12. spicer21

    spicer21 Guest

    Graeme Bunker, their Operations Manager. Yes, I believe he still has a finger in both pies so to speak.
     
  13. spicer21

    spicer21 Guest

    Interesting, sounds very much a one off, and probably a positioning move ? Await the final word from KY !
     
  14. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2005
    Messages:
    35,446
    Likes Received:
    9,144
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired-ish, Part time rail tour steward.
    Location:
    Northwich
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    And yet the sight and sound of both pairings, Princess Elizabeth/EoME and Duchess of Sutherland/EoME pounding up Shap filled the trains and brought the linesiders out in vast numbers.... So it's not authentic but it was spectacular, and having travelled on both tours the sound at all times was excellent, and reaching Shap summit at getting on for twice the normal speed there means that they were working hard.
    But Merchants don't make much noise at the best of times so you are right two chuffling along would be a bit tame.... OK I know when I've said enough...:)
     
  15. Yorkshire Exile

    Yorkshire Exile Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2007
    Messages:
    331
    Likes Received:
    82
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Codger and retired trustee of A1SLT
    Location:
    Jersey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Didn't know there were two 35007's! What was the other loco?
     
  16. Dustbin

    Dustbin New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2009
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    oops.... 35008

    Dustbin
     
  17. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    I do remember just one instance of double headed MNs, about the time mentioned earlier. A railtour or a special working to get the second loco to another location for a railtour? I know there is a note of it on one of my log books. I think it was only over a short distance.

    The only time I can remember off the top when they were doubleheaded by anything was on the up Night Ferry, (not sure about the down working). That was a very heavy train. An L1 or D1 4-4-0 would sometimes be on the front. Maybe if the train went over a certain weight as specified in the WTT? And/or to help it accelerate more quickly when in amongst the morning rush hour electrics. Don't really know why.

    But as has been said above also, there was and is no need for doubleheading with another MN except for an unusual spectacle. A MN on it's own, like the other ex BR class 8 pacifics, can handle just about any train these days: instance the heavy VSOE with trailing dead box that 35028 has taken over the steeply graded Guildford - Readhill line many times, complete with a restart from the water stop at the bottom of Gomshall bank. That train is I feel be somewhat heavier than the old Night Ferry, which again raises the question as to why the 4-4-0 would be needed. Not complaining though, some of my earliest memories are of that combination coming through Bromley South in the morning!

    Brother Don might know.
     
  18. Shoddy127

    Shoddy127 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2005
    Messages:
    1,905
    Likes Received:
    330
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Portsmouth
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    No Romsey I had no clue that the above was happening, I just stated my opinion in my post that SD severely restricted themselves by moving to DBS although we know the reason why the move was made, plain and simply Tornado.

    I hope SD can turn the cornor again (as I already mentioned) and get back to where they belong AND the A1 Trust and WCR can sort out safety case issues etc.

    All in all a positive move for everyone!

    I wonder if SD are still getting their own stock?
     
  19. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2005
    Messages:
    12,910
    Likes Received:
    1,387
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Birmingham
    I doubt a change of TOC would change that, apart from a Driver, Tyseley have next to nothing from WCRC, supplying the rest themselves.

    Another consideration is vac only loco's will be theoretically available to SD again.
     
  20. gricerdon

    gricerdon Guest

    Interesting. Never any need for a Merchant to be double headed by anything in normal service, though on 31st May 1964 35017 on 12 for 445 tons on the 11 am ex Waterloo took 34096 as a pilot engine to assist with the start on the 1 in 80 of Honiton bank due to engineering works and single line working through the tunnel. Yes Bryan is right the VSOE is regularly 10 Pullmans and 3 bogie vans which is around 500 tons tare and if a 67 is attached to the back and not working then this increases to nearly 600 tons. The old Night Ferry consist was normally something like 5 heavy class F Wagons Lits, 5 coaches and 2 vans approx 450 tons tare as the Wagon Lits were about 50 tons each I think. However it sometimes had up to 7 Wagon Lits, making a total of 14 for about 550 tons and as the up route in steam days was normally via Chatham which included Sole Street bank than that would explain the 4-4-0 pilot.

    Don
     
    KentYeti likes this.

Share This Page